Extreme Watch Nerdery

[ironik513]

I got this Casio x Space Invaders anniversary watch as a present. It has blue backlight. Have to get a new power cell!

[sabrage]

I'm generally not a huge fan of either quartz nor Seiko, but this SKA366 is one badass watch:

Here's a video that shows off its power reserve complication (~1 minute in) which is very cool.

[sabrage]

Well gentlemen, I've done it. It took about 3 weeks of obsessive research, but I've delved into the vast depths of the watch market and I'm ready to pluck out my pearl. I've probably looked at well over a thousand different watches from half as many brands, but I knew in a second that this would be the watch I would buy:

The Hager Commando. I saw this watch on a forum and immediately trotted off to the manufacturor's page... Check out this incredible lume:

Can't wait to get paid. I was getting really apathetic about the watches in my price range, so I'm glad I found one from an American brand (an upstart, but I think it's ridiculous how much work manufacturers have to do to break into this business) that hits every one of my requirements at a much more attractive price-point than the next-best thing is a breath of fresh air.

[marurun]

You like much bigger watches than I do. I get fidgety with watches (and rings) and tend to mess with them. What I need is something with minimal weight and size. I really like Skagen's titanium offerings. Well, the ones with the metal mesh bands, anyway. Don't so much like the silicone ones.

http://www.skagen.com/en-US/products/Me ... anium/1.fx

[sabrage]

The Hagen is actually only 40mm, which is quite small compared to some of the other divers on the market. Having second thoughts about the movement already though.

I definitely trend towards militaristic designs. Not sure where that comes from, I like field jackets, peacoats and trenches too. Boots, dark neutrals, that kind of thing.

[marurun]

Hard to argue with peacoats. They're pretty cool all around.

I'm curious about your attention to the watch's movement. Can you elaborate a little on why that's so important to you? I'm curious.

[sabrage]

To be honest, it's still a bit arcane to me. I know what brands are good and that some of their movements are better than others, but as far as the finer details as to why... I just know that certain movements are of a finer quality than others based off anecdotal evidence. The particular movement that's in that Hager is made by a quality, proven Chinese manufacture, but it's still a relatively cheap movement, something in the range of $10-25. So that was a bit of a shock for a >$200 watch, to see a movement that's commonly available in watches half the price. The superficial details are all in place, but now the engine's at fault. I poked around a bit for reviews of that particular movement and they don't seem to have the reliability you would expect of a watch. For an even lower price, I could order something like the Maratac Mid which has a much nicer movement and comes from a true US Government-commissioned manufacture. I don't mind paying a premium for aesthetics all other things equal, but paying more for less watch is a poor judgement call no matter how you cut it.

Then, there's the difference of quartz vs mechanical watches. If you're a casual watch fan, or utmost precision is necessary for whatever reason, then quartz is probably the way to go. It doesn't need to be serviced every several years, and certain models don't even need battery replacements like Citizen's Eco-Drive (solar powered, Seiko has a line of solar watches as well) or Seiko's Kinetic series, which has a spinning rotor similar to a mechanical automatic. However, I just love the smooth sweep and the completely mysterious movement of a beautifully made mechanical watch. Here's a quick video illustrating the difference between the quartz "tick" and the mechanical "sweep" on the secondhand, and I'm sure from there you can find plenty of pornographic videos of watch movements to just gaze at in wonder. From a time-telling perspective, the quartz is no doubt superior...

But in terms of human engineering, a mechanical movement movement is simply a sight to hold and behold, especially compared to this:

The automatic movements in my price range generally gain or lose about ~5 seconds per day, which is well within the limits of what I need to tell time. I'm not really sure what the margins are for a well-made quartz; my heart has been set on a mechanical to the point that I've barely scratched the surface of quartz watches. I know that a certain Citizen model has a built in radio transmitter in addition to its solar feature, so as long as you're within range the time is automatically synced over RF and it has something like a 6 month power reserve in the dark. It's also a terribly ugly watch. That's not even touching the complications that have more or less been replaced by the advent of the smartphone (but then so have watches) or going too deep into differences in upkeep between a mechanical and a quartz.

You may want to have a look at Christopher Ward. Their designs are excellent and the ETA movements that they use are also used in respectable watches 2 or 3 times the price of anything CW offers. Some of their quartzes are very affordable as well.

(Then again, you might like this $10 Casio, and if it breaks it's not like you'll mourn it)

[foxhound1022]

Just got this today. It's not crazy expensive or anything, but I think it's pretty cool.

[hashiriya1]

I got this Casio x Space Invaders anniversary watch as a present. It has blue backlight. Have to get a new power cell!

That's funny that it's stamped "Omotesando". It would be more fitting being sold in Akihabara.

[sabrage]

[Foxhound's FOXHOUND watch]

Any idea on the maker of that watch? I'm jealous regardless.

I've scaled my watch lust back significantly since my job imploded over the weekend. I'll be ordering an Orient Mako soon, and the Maratac Pilot going out of stock made that decision easy.'

(And since the Amazon shots really don't do the Mako justice)

And while I'm here, check out this insanely overengineered clasp from Tudor (part of the Rolex brand)